Thesis of returnee entrepreneurs in a high-tech cluster: Zhongguancun Science Park in China

This thesis focuses on returnee entrepreneurs in a large industrial cluster, ZhongguancunScience Park in Beijing, based on a combined quantitative and qualitative method. Usinga hand-collected dataset of returnee entrepreneur-owned 353 SMEs (small and mediumenterprises) and local entrepreneur-owned 358 SMEs from Zhongguancun Science Park,the author empirically investigates the role of returnee-firms in technology transfer andknowledge spillovers. The findings suggest returnee entrepreneurs play a significant rolein technology transfer and act as a new channel for international knowledge spillovers. Italso examines the relationship between the characteristics of returnees and their firms’performance in comparison with non-returnee firms. The results also show thatreturnee-firms have gained competitive advantage in high-tech industries and performbetter than non-returnee firms. Based on eight case studies, the author also compares andcontrasts differences and similarities in term of internationalisation process of these twotypes of firms. It is found that returnee entrepreneurs are the early adopters ofinternationalisation due to their international background and international networks.The findings provide new insights into the role of returnee entrepreneurs intechnological development in China and help advance the theoretical development of anew channel for knowledge spillovers. The findings also shed light on the relationshipbetween performance, knowledge and social capital, and provide evidence thatemphasises the need to consider the impact of a wide range of factors such as socialcapital and networks on a firm’s performance. The thesis provides a new insight into thefactors determining the early adoption of internationalisation of Chinese firms.